Disability Support Worker
What the work is
Provides general household assistance, emotional support and person-centred care to develop individual living skills and enhance community access and social inclusion for people with disability in their own homes.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Supports people with disability with daily activities such as mobility, housekeeping tasks, personal care, medication and meal preparation
- Negotiates with individuals and families regarding the acceptance of care provided
- Provides emotional support, and assists in managing depression, confusion and grief
- Identifies and facilitates community-based social activities for people with disability
- Assists people with disability to access disability support services
- Supports people with disability with training and employment
- Manages risks and emergencies in a home care setting
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a disability support provider coordinating workers who visit people in their own homes. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A participant you support tells you about a goal they have decided to chase
- The roster for next week comes together with no gaps and happy workers
- A worker you mentored handles a hard moment calmly and you see them grow
Hard days
- A worker calls in sick at six in the morning and a participant depends on the first visit
- A family member who disagrees with the plan and says so loudly on the phone
- Being caught between what a participant wants and what the funding allows
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 422231, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.